Batcolt and the Fall of Dent

"Court's in session. Trail the ponies v. Cantlemine Falcone. Honorable Judge Cloud Twister presiding." The gavel fell. Without wasting time the star district attorney took the floor.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts we are here today to discuss the wrong doings of one, Cantlemine Falcone." He trotted back and forth in front of the jury stand. Falcone looked upset as to the fact that he might not be able to get out of this. It didn't matter…

*****

The trial was moving very well in the favor of the District Attorney. The witness on the stand was an old pony that owned a shop out in the Narrows. "His goons would come to my shop and demand money for protection!"

"How, sir, did you know that?" Knowing full well how he knew the District Attorney needed him to say it so that the jury knew.

"His goon said so, Mr. Dent. He said 'Falcone wants his money for the month!" The court room broke into whispers and murmurs on how Falcone needed to be put away.

"Order! Order in the court! Mr. Dent, please continue," the judge said. "No further questions your honor.

*****

"Are you insane?" Falcone was deadpan at his lawyer's protest "I put you up there then there is no way that you will walk."

"Hey... I pay you to represent me and it doesn't seem like you are doing that good of a job. I want up there so I can plead my case... my way," in his eyes it showed that the lawyer would not be waking up tomorrow if he didn't do what was asked. Even if it was in Falcone's best interests.

"Your Honor, I have no further witnesses," Hoovsey Dent said before taking a seat. "Does the defense have any more witnesses?" the defence attorney stood up shaky his wings would tremble slightly as he said the words "I would like to call... the defendant, Cantlemine Falcone to the stand."

"You are sure about this?" The judge said "Approach the bench." Both the defence lawyer and the district attorney walked to the stand. "You do realise what this can do to your case?"

"Yes, I do, your Honor, but it was insisted upon," his gaze couldn't meet the judge's.

"Very well."

*****

"I have no further questions, your Honor," the defence attorney was quick in his questioning. In fact he didn't ask many at all.

"Your witness, Mr. Dent," Hoovsey Dent was looked upon as an unsung hero of Gotham. He would make enemies in both worlds of the city. He became the hope to a normal life that the city could have. "Mr. Falcone, it has been said that you have control over most of the businesses and even stick your hands in areas such as circuses." He walked to the witness stand.

"What do you have to say? I won't sit here and question you. I just want to hear what you have to say," he placed his hands on the side of the stand. "I would have to say... that there are things in this city that run better with power and I suggest we all think about how this would all work in the end. Mr. Dent... you look thirsty.... Have a drink!" He moved quick. Faster than any would imagine. He pulled out a flask from his inside pocket and splashed a clear liquid on Dent's muzzle.

The bailiff jumped onto Falcone who laughed as he was tackled. Hoovsey feel to the ground trying to get the burning pain off of his face, but the pain ripped away at him making it impossible to think how to get rid of it. The splashes found their way to his clothes and cutie mark coin.

*****

Days had passed by. Hoovsey was in his hospital bed. He would wake and and scream in pain as the nerve endings send singles to his brain that there is something horridly wrong with his face. His cutie mark would only heal enough so that it would be a damaged coin.

His belongings were next to his bed. He kept a two headed bit with him for fun. It really weirded out the ponies he interviewed. Always joking that he would leave their fate to chance. Now the coin lay there.

In his dreams he could see it clearly.... "Hoovsey Dent... They ruined you... The city... The mob. You had everything... All that you needed was that last case. Falcone destroyed your face...

"No... what are you thinking? What am I thinking?!"

"WE are thinking what WE should be! Come on Hoovsey! Our brains and we can take the underworld! Set things right! Falcone and the other crime bosses will be nothing to us!"

"That isn't how to go about things here! This city -,"

"This city is beyond the hope of the regular judical system. Come on... How about we flip for it..." Dent woke up again... grabbing his coin from the stand "It's the only coin we have, eh?" He stood up and got his hooves on the floor. He put the coin down and slammed it with his horse shoe marking it up. "Just like us... So Hoovsey! Good heads we play it your way... Bad heads... We do things... a little different." He gulped and the coin was in the air...

*****

The mayor and commissioner waited outside the hospital room. The doctor had told them he was stable, but asleep. "Now what?," the commissioner said "He denied any further treatment. I think he was broken by this."

"I told him not to push himself on this matter. We at least can put Falcone away on attempted murder," the mayor said. "I don't know... It turns out that they were able to post bail since the original trial was postponed and the attempt on Dent will be looked at as insan-," there was a window crash from inside the room. Both colts ran in to see Dent's bed empty.

They both realized what this meant. Fjordon was on the phone quickly.

*****

In the narrows, only hours later, a pony was back in front of his favorite spot. "They dumped everything on the boss and I got let go!" he said laughing. "Hey, I have to get out of here, need to make some runs for the boss." He trotted away, but was stopped not that long later.

"There are two sides to everything. Good and bad," The pony was startled, but recovered quickly "Get out of the way, you hobo, I ain't giving you no money."

"Money? No. I am here for justice. You were the one responsible for that killing at the circus. It was chance that the city let you go for your boss. It will be chance if you walk away alive," the pony stepped into the light... The left side of his face was exposed bone and muscle. His eyeball was devoid of lids and permanently exposed for the world to see. His cutie mark had a scar going through it and it looked like a coin that was disfigured on one half. The mobster colt shrieked in terror. "Good heads you live... bad heads... not so lucky," He flipped the coin in his hoof and caught it "Not as lucky as you thought?"

*****

"In other news today there has been a string of murders in the city that seems to have targeted Gothland's suspected mobsters," the tv was drowned out by Alfred walking into the room with a set of tea "At least there is one thing that can come of the insanity of the city,"

"Alfred that isn't the way to think, no matter how convenient," Bruce said sipping his tea. "I think I will take Dick on his first patrol tonight."

"Are you sure, Master Bruce? He still hasn't gotten the hang of keeping his wings in during a fight."

"A weakness that he will have to learn to control. If his costume is ready we will go," he put the tea cup down "Possibly look into these mobster killings," he stood up from the chair and went to the statue that opens the cave as he stepped into the elevator Alfred called out to him "Please, Master Bruce, bring the boy back in one piece," Bruce smiled as the doors closed "Very reassuring indeed."

*****

Inside the cave the young colt was doing flips around obstacles and kicked a training dummy in the head "Ha! In your face!" he exclaimed as he opened his wings and went to attack another. "You should watch those wings," Bruce said trotting over not looking at the young fighter.

"I am fine!" as the words left his lips a hard foam weapon hit his left wing knocking him over. The other training dummies were on top of him. "Computer, freeze training." Bruce moved the dummies out of the way. "You are rushing things, but as long as you stay close to me and listen to my instructions I don't see why you can't join me tonight," He kept a straight face as he watched Dick's face light up with a sense of accomplishment that he is progressing. "But we are taking the car where we can. No roof tops yet."

"Ok! Can I drive?" It was the few times he heard Bruce... no... not Bruce, but Batcolt. Dick had this thought that when he talked to Bruce it wasn't like talking to others. When he watched him at a social gathering it seemed... fake. Like Batcolt was the real pony.

"We will talk about that when you have a license."

"But, Bruce what will I wear?" he said following him to the computer section of the cave

"I," Alfred said carrying a small folded item on his back "Took the liberty of handling that, Master Pegason."

"Go and get ready," Bruce said "I leave in 15 minutes with or with you," the young colt ran off grabbing the suit from Alfred "He seems eager. I remember a young chap that was like that during the war."

"I know Alfred. I will watch him. If things get bad we will come back and he will have to do more training." He hoped it would be that easy so did Alfred, but somethings among friends don't need to be said.

After a few minutes the car started up. "So what do these buttons do? Which one is the radio?" Batcolt smiled as his new sidekick sat in wonder looking at all the buttons and switches. "That is a big red bu-," his words were cut off by the sudden thrust of the car. It's tires screaming as it attempted to make traction. The young colt's head was pressed against the chair as the torque of the vehicle and the forces held him there when the car blasted forward.

*****

"Do you really think we can take control of all of Falcone's operations in the city alone?" Dent asked. "Oh that will work out. You see we have plenty of places to go... people to give ultimatums to..."

"What do you mean," Dent was scared... how could I stop this mad man... should I stop him "Ultimatums?" He finished.

"I mean that we go and ask if they join us... if not well we let fate decide!" he flipped the coin... good heads.

*****

"Wow," Robin said in awe from the rooftops "I feel like I can see the whole city from up here!" Batcolt scanned the streets below for anything that would seem out of the ordinary. His cowl amplifying his sight by 20 times as he looked to the allies around him.

He finally spotted something "Don't forget to follow my lead and how to use the grappling hook." With that he jumped off the top of the building. With in seconds he landed on the ground in the shadows.

A young earth pony was walking alone with a black mane and dark navy coat. "Heh... Don't you know this is not the area you should be in little one," a griffin said stepping out from the shadows. "Somepony can get hurt, but we can help you with that. For a price and all..." A pegasus said stepping out from the other side.

With in the shadows Batcolt talked to Robin "Remember, the element of surprise will be in striking fear. Wait until their focus is on the victim 100%," He waited for the right moment which was coming soon until "Hey! Feather brains! What do you think you are doing!?"

Robin was out in the open.... his wings spread out ready to take flight and attack. "Hey kid! this isn't a place for little pipsqueaks!" With that and a smile Robin leaped to the sky and came crashing down on on the pegasus, knocking him out quickly.

The griffin growled at the young colt. With a roar he pounced at him with his razor sharp talons. Robin dodged them and bucked the beast on its side. The crack was able to make the blue colt feel the pain of the hit. The griffin wasn't unconscious, but was definitely out of the fight.

"Thank you," the young colt said. "Any time... Just avoid the dark allies from now on."

After the young colt left, Robin tied up the two criminals and as he did so Batcolt came out from the shadows "What the hay do you think you are doing?!"

"Cleaning the streets of the scum..."

"This is NOT a game! If one of them had a weapon you or that colt could have been killed!" Robin realized that was a possibility, but rather than argue or anything else he lowered his head. "Listen to what I say."

*****

"Do you have any idea who owns this bar!?" The bartender slammed his back against the counter looking at the hideous mess in front of him. "Falcone does... and we figured... what is a better way to ruin a pony... by either destroying what he worked hard to take.... or take it for yourself..."

"Wait... You're that District Attorney that disap-,"

"No...no no no... We are somepony else completely," the pony stepped into the light... the left side of his face disfigured from acid burns "Call me Two-Muzzle..."
"Oh sweet dear Celestia! Please! Just don't hurt me! What do you want?!"

"I know that Falcone owns this bar... Well we take a bit of the share and no pony gets hurt," The bartender stood there and nodded. He opened the register and gave the monster what he wanted. "So... We are good right? You don't hurt me?"

A coin flipped and landed on the bar. "Today is your lucky day," He took the coin and left.

"You know... we shouldn't be doing this... This isn't what I pictured when I said I wanted to clean up Gothland," Hoovsey said. "Ha! We will clean up Gothland for everything she has to offer! Starting with Cantlemine Falcone's share!"

"But what about the innocent people that can get caught up in the cross fire?"

"They are not as innocent as you think they are, Shining White Stallion!" He patted the coin in his pocket reaffirming that it was there "We will leave the innocents to chance... As well as the others... Everyone is equal in this town... It will be ours!"

*****

Inside the coltmobile the mobile red phone rang. "Can I answer it?" Robin said egerly "No, stay quiet. Commissioner?"

"Batcolt, there is something going on that I would like you to look into if you are not too busy. There have been 4 homicides and about 3 mobsters came in and turned themselves in. I know the homicides aren't your doing, but the other 3?"

"I gift wrap mine, Jim," He turned down toward the Narrows. "I figured as much... Well the rumored mobster that was behind the actual death of the Pegason's parents... He was found dead." The car sped up. "The crime scene?"

"Sorry our boys already got to it... He was shot with a .38 caliber and was alone. The other bodies were in the same area. They have already been cleared out, but the three that turned themselves in all say some disfigured freak was out to get them," he didn't want to say the name, but he felt it must be said "I think they might be talking about Hoovesy Dent..."

"He went missing right? I am sure he is the one that would be behind all of this. He might be out for revenge," he thought for a minute. "I have a list of all the places Falcone has under his control... I will check them out. I will keep you posted," he hung up the phone and parked the vehicle in an alley. Telling the commissioner that he would keep him posted was the same as saying that he was going to handle this alone. Fjordon knew it as much as Batcolt.

"What are we doing now?" Robin said getting out of the car with him. "You are going to follow me exactly and not say a word until I say so." Robin nodded and did as he was told. Batcolt entered an empty pub. The bar only had the bartender who was shaken about something. Seeing Batcolt made things more difficult for him. "What the!?" he dropped the bottle he was holding "Why is it all the freaks are here to see me today?"

"I see that you had a visitor before us. Talk."

"Listen, I had one problem today and I am sure Falcone will take my hoof when he finds out what happened," Batcolt was on top of him "I need to find him now! Do NOT think i am somepony that wants to talk this out!"

Robin almost wanted to tell Batcolt what he wanted to know after hearing that voice. He started to see that this was more serious than he imagined now then he did before. "Dent! Horseapples it was Dent! He is crazy! Called himself Two-Muzzle! He kept flipping a coin when he was decidin' somethin'!"

"Where?" Batcolt said in a cold, low voice. "I... I don't know! He said he was goin' to take over all of Falcone's gigs!"

"Robin get to the car," He left the bartender in a puddle of urine as both he and the young colt trotted out of the pub. "Where are we going?"

"Falcone has a large string of stores and false fronts in the area. I think Dent is trying to take them over so that he will be able to fight fire with fire." Getting into the car he started it up and blasted down the streets. "There is one factory that would be a good spot to start.

"It is a front Falcone put up to let the city believe that it was for making wheel chairs and canes for the old, but I knew better. The DA office couldn't pin it on them even with the evidence I had on them. It is a weapons depot for the mob as well as a black market so that other thugs in the streets can get their hooves on something."

"Ok, but how would he get the people and the ability to do all that?"

"You remember the way the bartender looked? He was scared of what he saw. He also sold out his bar to Dent. If that is the case then I wouldn't doubt Dent has a small group of followers by now. If this keeps going this way he could have an organized crime syndicate himself in a matter of days," he thought it through and realized how that could change things all over. He had to be stopped. "He needs help."

*****

Trotting around the factory he flipped his coin. "Please... This is not the way to go about this," Hoovsey said "What? Are you crazy?"

"HA! Says the one who is holding the coin!" Hoovsey was taken aback. "Flip it! Tell me if she lives... or dies!"

The young mare was on her knees sobbing angrily. "Batcolt will stop you!" Two-Muzzle went around to her front and picked her head up with a hoof "That all depends on fate, my dear!" He flipped the coin and as it spun in the air he held up the gun ready to use it. "Good heads. You're lucky day!"

"Not yours, Dent!" A colterang slammed into the gun knocking out of his hooves to the ground "Ha! We were wondering when you would show up!"

"This is insane! We have to stop this!" Hoovesy said pleading with himself. "Stop what?! Falcone made us! This is what should be done!"

"You need help Hoovsey." Batcolt said evenly as he slowly approached Two-Muzzle. "I can help you."

"We are beyond that... and stop calling us that! We are Two-muzzle!" He pulled out another gun and pointed it at the mare. "Wait! Your coin!"

"He is right!" Hoovsey pleaded with himself "We need to flip to see is she lives..." the gun wavered "True enough..." he stood up on his back hooves and flipped the coin while keeping the weapon level on the girl.

As the coin spun slowly Batcolt tossed up a slew of coins in the air. "No!" all the coins fell and Dent dropped down shifting through them. "Which one?! Which one?! Good heads or bad heads?!" Robin came from the shadows and knocked him out. "Now you are learning..." Batcolt turned to the mare. "Are you OK?" she nodded as she stood up. "The police will be here shortly. Do you need anything?" With out warning she kissed him. "That is all I needed. Thank you," she said and trotted off.

"So this job does have its perks," Robin said. Batcolt smiled "I will be bringing the... mobile around... make sure you tie him up properly." He took out the grappling hook to leave the way they entered "And Robin... Good work on your first night out."

*****

Else where in Gothland.

"Help! My purse!" The old mare yelled as she tried to chase the young colts that galloped away.

They were startled out of their horseshoes when they saw the batsymbol cutie mark. "Oh, buck! It's the bat!"

Their eyes focused and they realised who they were looking at "No you idiot! That's some broad! We can take her!"

They rushed her and she took two steps and bucked them quickly. Using her horn she threw a garbage can at them. They dropped the bag and ran. "Here is your bag ma'am."
"I thought that the rumors about you were that you were a man..." the mare smiled "No... he is probably busy... I am Batmare!" with that she disappeared into the night sky.